In This Issue:

Energy and Climate Debate; Congress; Administration; Department of Defense; Department of Energy; Department of Interior; Department of State; Environmental Protection Agency; General Services Administration; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; National Research Council; Personnel; States; and International.

Excerpt from Energy and Climate Debate

In the midst of a big week for health care, energy issues had a number of their own headlines as well.

On June 26, a three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed challenges from industry groups and some states to the Environmental Protection Agency’s tailoring rule in an unsigned opinion that reaffirmed the rules in their entirety. The tailoring rule limits greenhouse gas permitting to the largest industrial sources. The court ruled that the petitioners lacked standing to challenge the rule because it was aimed at easing their permitting burden by limiting the number of sources that need to have permits. The court also denied challenges to the agency’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gases and subsequent emissions standards for cars and light-duty trucks. Petitioners are reviewing the decision and considering whether to seek a full hearing before the District of Columbia Circuit or appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the agency had the authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases as a pollutant.